when it comes to the fiscal cliff, you have to go back to that quickly. are you going to be there on december 31st at 11:59 voting on a deal or will there be something beforehand? >> all of the commentators seem to think there is going to be a deal. i don't know. the republicans seem to be caving in or beginning to set the door to cave in on agreeing to some tax rate increases. but a deal that says what some people are talking about will increase the tax rates to not as much as they were under clinton. and return will put a limit on cost of living increases for social security, will increase the eligibility age for medicare. as the republicans are demanding is not an acceptable compromise as far as i'm concerned. you have a lot of democrats voting against any such agreement. >> eliot: you are raising the critical issue that has not gotten any substantial and necessary attention as it should which is what will the cost-cutting be. where will it come from? how will entitlements be affected if at all and why? we have to have that conversation. >> the most ob